FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Christina Jensen PR, 646.536.7864 [email protected]
BANG ON A CAN MARATHON TO OPEN RIVER TO RIVER FESTIVAL
Co-presented by Arts World Financial Center
**UPDATE: Schedule & Complete List of Performers & Composers Included Below**
Sunday, June 19, 2011 11am – Midnight 12+ hours of FREE Live Music! **Kicks off outdoors at 11am on the WFC Plaza** Asphalt Orchestra. Photo by Stephanie Berger, available in high resolution at www.christinajensenpr.com in Bang on a Can’s gallery. World Financial Center Winter Garden 220 Vesey Street, NYC
Admission: FREE Bang on a Can Marathon information: 718.852.7755 or www.bangonacan.org Directions to the Winter Garden at World Financial Center: http://artsworldfinancialcenter.com/exterior_map.htm Full River To River Festival line up: www.RiverToRiverNYC.com
For Bang on a Can Marathon press requests, contact: Christina Jensen PR, 646.536.7864, [email protected] or [email protected] For River To River Festival/Arts World Financial Center press requests, contact: PKPR, 212.627.8098, [email protected] or [email protected]
New York, NY (June 2, 2011) — On Sunday, June 19, from 11am until midnight, Bang on a Can is back and kicks off the River To River Festival with its annual Bang on a Can Marathon, FREE for the public at World Financial Center Winter Garden (220 Vesey Street, NYC), co-presented by Arts World Financial Center. The Marathon has been part of the River To River Festival for six years, and this year kicks off the month-long celebration of free music, dance, film, theater, play, and arts events throughout Lower Manhattan. Founded in 1987, the Marathon will again bring together more than 150 astounding performers and composers from around the world, performing in numerous experimental genres.
Bang on a Can’s annual 12-hour-plus Marathon has become one of the most diverse, open, and engaging music events in the world. Of last year’s event, The New York Times reported, “Disparate strands from the contemporary classical, jazz, electronica, world music and indie rock spheres were neatly woven together into a crazy-quilt representation of adventuresome notions. You could liken the program to a quirky mixtape or iPod playlist, except that its reach was broader, more like a Last.fm Internet radio channel, idiosyncratically sequenced, then made available for public consumption.”
This year’s Marathon begins at 11am (sharp!) with an outdoor kick-off on the plaza featuring the renegade street band Asphalt Orchestra performing music by STEW/Heidi Rodewald and Yoko Ono (and later on music by David Byrne/Annie Clark, Goran Bregovic, Björk, Frank Zappa and more). Moving inside the Winter Garden, the Marathon will gather significant premieres alongside landmark legendary works: among the many highlights of the day are the explosive Bang on a Can All-Stars teaming up live with Philip Glass to perform the early 70s classic Music in Similar Motion as well as works by a whole new generation including Bryce Dessner of The National and Boston’s Christine Southworth; a rare performance by New York’s legendary Glenn Branca of his massive hour-long work Ascension: The Sequel; the NY premiere of Fausto Romitelli’s theatrical An Index of Metals performed by Talea Ensemble (set to top their celebrated premiere of Romitelli’s Professor Bad Trip on last year’s Marathon); the US premiere of the ever inventive Brit Richard Ayres’ Three Small Pieces for String Quartet performed by the ferocious JACK Quartet; Philadelphia’s Prism Saxophone Quartet playing Xenakis’ crazy-hard Xas alongside works by young composers Kati Agócs with her meditative Hymn and Roshanne Etezady’s sparkling Keen; the US premiere of Poul Ruders’ brand new Songs and 1
Rhapsodies performed by Athelas Wind Ensemble with accordionist Frode Andersen; effervescent composer-singer Toby Twining marking his return to New York with a new band of singers and the release of his new CD Eurydice; the incomparable and outer-planetary Sun Ra Arkestra; the fearless Signal performing Julia Wolfe’s blistering string orchestra work Cruel Sister, also just out on CD; a full set of US premieres by Milan’s unparalleled chamber band Sentieri Selvaggi including music by Carlo Boccadoro, Filippo Del Corno, Michael Nyman and more; Evan Ziporyn’s beautifully buzzing clarinet quartet Hive; Young People’s Chorus of New York City teaming up with cellist Maya Beiser on Michael Harrison’s meditative Hijaz and then with JACK Quartet for Michael Gordon’s Exalted; David Lang’s hard-rocking electric guitar duet Warmth; bagpiper/composer Matthew Welch performing with Queens College Percussion Ensemble; Anthony Gatto’s new work for a battery of 19 drummers; featured virtuosic solo performances by Timo Andres, Alejandro Escuer playing Gabriela Ortiz, Todd Reynolds, and more.
2011 Bang on a Can Marathon Schedule: Please note that times are approximate and subject to change. For updates visit www.bangonacan.org or follow @bangonacan on Twitter. For a YouTube playlist of featured artists visit http://bit.ly/mRCSRE.
11am (OUTSIDE) Asphalt Orchestra performing Carlton by STEW and Heidi Rodewald, Opus 81 by Yoko Ono Queens College Percussion Ensemble with Matthew Welch, bagpipes; Amanda Accardi piano, Michael Lipsey, conductor performing Matthew Welch's The Self and the Other, mvts. 1 and 3 Flutist Alejandro Escuer performing Códigos secretos** by Gabriela Ortiz
12pm Queens College Percussion Ensemble with Iktus Percussion performing Portrait of Eva Hesse (palindrome), for 2 to 19 percussionists in unison contours by Anthony Gatto JACK Quartet performing Three Small Pieces for String Quartet* by Richard Ayres Prism Saxophone Quartet performing Hymn by Kati Agócs Violinist Todd Reynolds performing his own work Transamerica+ Prism Saxophone Quartet performing Xas by Iannis Xenakis Sentieri Selvaggi performing Love Always Counts* by Michael Nyman, Sinatra Shag by Michael Daugherty Prism Saxophone Quartet performing Keen by Roshanne Etezady
2pm Sentieri Selvaggi performing Risvegliatevi!* by Filippo Del Corno, Brightness* by Mauro Montalbetti, Zingiber* by Carlo Boccadoro Asphalt Orchestra performing Two Ships by David Byrne/Annie Clark, Ngoma Yekwedu by Thomas Mapfumo Bang on a Can All-Stars performing Concerning the Doodle by Christine Southworth, O Shut Your Eyes Against the Wind by Bryce Dessner
4pm Young People's Chorus of New York City and Maya Beiser, cello; Michael Harrison, just-intonation piano, and Payton MacDonald, percussion performing Hijaz by Michael Harrison Guitarists Taylor Levine and James Moore performing Warmth by David Lang Young People's Chorus of New York City and JACK Quartet performing Exalted by Michael Gordon Athelas Wind Quintet and Frode Andersen performing Songs and Rhapsodies* by Poul Ruders Asphalt Orchestra performing Zomby Woof by Frank Zappa
6pm Asphalt Orchestra performing Hyper-Ballad by Björk and Champagne by Goran Bregovic Talea Ensemble and soprano Tony Arnold performing An Index of Metals** by Fausto Romitelli Timo Andres performing his own work At the River
8pm Signal performing Cruel Sister by Julia Wolfe Toby Twining performing excerpts from his own work Eurydice Bang on a Can All-Stars and Philip Glass performing Glass's Music in Similar Motion and Closing Sun Ra Arkestra performing their own work
10pm Clarinetists Evan Ziporyn, Carol McGonnell, Joshua Rubin, and Michael Lowenstern performing Hive by Evan Ziporyn Glenn Branca Ensemble performing The Ascension: The Sequel by Glenn Branca
+World Premiere *US Premiere **New York Premiere 2
PERFORMANCES BY: Bang on a Can All-Stars, Asphalt Orchestra, Philip Glass, Glenn Branca, Sun Ra Arkestra, Athelas Wind Ensemble (Denmark), Sentieri Selvaggi (Italy), Talea Ensemble, JACK Quartet, Toby Twining, Prism Saxophone Quartet (Philadelphia), Signal, Young People's Chorus of New York City with Maya Beiser, Michael Harrison, and Payton Macdonald, Taylor Levine & James Moore, Evan Ziporyn, Todd Reynolds, Alejandro Escuer, Timo Andres, and Queens College Percussion Ensemble with Matthew Welch and Amanda Accardi
MUSIC BY: Kati Agócs, Richard Ayres, Timo Andres, Björk, Carlo Boccadoro, Glenn Branca, Goran Bregovic, David Byrne/Annie Clark, Filippo Del Corno, Bryce Dessner, Michael Daugherty, Roshanne Etezady, Anthony Gatto, Philip Glass, Michael Gordon, Michael Harrison, David Lang, Thomas Mapfumo, Mauro Montalbetti, Michael Nyman, Yoko Ono, Gabriela Ortiz, Todd Reynolds, Fausto Romitelli, Poul Ruders, Christine Southworth, STEW & Heidi Rodewald, Christine Southworth, Toby Twining, Matthew Welch, Julia Wolfe, Iannis Xenakis, Frank Zappa, and Evan Ziporyn
About Bang on a Can: Formed in 1987 by composers Michael Gordon, David Lang and Julia Wolfe, Bang on a Can is dedicated to commissioning, performing, creating, presenting and recording contemporary music. With an ear for the new, the unknown and the unconventional, Bang on a Can strives to expose exciting and innovative music as broadly and accessibly as possible to new audiences worldwide. And through its Summer Festival, Bang on a Can hopes to bring this energy and passion for innovation to a younger generation of composers and players.
The San Francisco Chronicle has called Bang on a Can "the country's most important vehicle for contemporary music." Over the years, Bang on a Can has grown from a one-day festival to a multi-faceted organization. Projects include festival concerts and the annual Bang on a Can Marathon; The People's Commissioning Fund, a membership program to commission emerging composers; the Bang on a Can All-Stars, who tour to major festivals and concert venues around the world every year; recording projects; the Bang on a Can Summer Music Festival & Institute – a professional development program for young composers and performers; and cross-disciplinary collaborations and projects with DJs, visual artists, choreographers, filmmakers and more. Bang on a Can’s innovative and aggressive approach to programming and presentation has created a large and vibrant international audience made up of people of all ages who are rediscovering the value of contemporary music. For more information, visit www.bangonacan.org.
About the River To River Festival: This year’s 10th annual River To River® Festival is presented by lead partner Lower Manhattan Cultural Council and presenting partners Arts World Financial Center, Battery Park City Authority, and The Seaport. Free admission to River To River® events is supported by the festival’s generous underwriters. The Festival's Founding and Title Sponsor is American Express. Major support for the 2011 festival is also provided by the Alliance for Downtown New York. Media support is provided by WNYC and WQXR, WNBC, and The Village Voice. Additional vital support is provided by Century 21 Department Stores, JetBlue Airways, Statue Cruises and TheaterMania.com, as well as CB Richard Ellis, City Winery, The Moody’s Foundation, New York Marriott Downtown, Pace University and TKTS Seaport. River To River is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. River To River is also supported by the New York State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Founded in 2002 to help revitalize Lower Manhattan after September 11th, with support from the Festival’s Founding and Title Sponsor, American Express, The River To River Festival has since become a cultural institution, drawing hundreds of thousands of people each year to venues along Downtown’s spectacular waterfront, including the World Financial Center, The Seaport, Battery Park City’s Rockefeller Park, Castle Clinton National Monument, The Elevated Acre at 55 Water Street, and more. Since its inception, over seven million people have attended more than 700 festival events. For additional information, please visit www.RiverToRiverNYC.com.
About Arts World Financial Center: Since 1988, more than 3.5 million people have attended thousands of free performances and events at Brookfield’s World Financial Center, making it the East Coast’s largest venue for free, year- round performing and visual arts. With an emphasis on commissioned works, site-specific installations, and premieres, World Financial Center is the home of flagship annual events like the Bang on a Can Marathon, Silent Films/Live Music curated by WNYC’s John Schaefer, and Canstruction, an exhibit featuring giant sculptures made entirely from cans of high-quality food which are ultimately donated to charity. To date, Brookfield and its tenant partners have devoted more than $40 million to the arts and events programs at the World Financial Center. For more information, visit www.artsworldfinancialcenter.com.
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